Fluid distribution in contact masses



June 2, 1936, E. J. HOUDRY -FLUID DISTRIBUTION IN CONTACT MASSES Filed May 14, 1932 rari m 7m m um l w ...W 7: -mw/ so?8vooooooooooooco a w a [344344&444344434 #4l .l a C .www ,f f f f C4 E @Ht JW, QH: FUDQOEm l FDDDOkl contact mass.

Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,042,468 FLUID DISTRIBUTION IN CONTACT MASSES Eugene J. Hendry.

Paris, France, assigner to Hendry Process Corporation, Dover. Del., a corporation of Delaware Application May 14, 1932, Serial No. 611,362 14 Claiml. (Cl. 23-288) This invention relates to the use of catalytic and other contact masses in effecting chemical transformations, including both exothermic and endothermic reactions as Well as the purifying,

restoration of catalytic activity, or regeneration of the contact material. It involves both process and apparatus aspects. More particularly, it concerns contact masses intended for regeneration in situ.

One object of the invention is to devise im proved processes and apparatus for effecting the distribution of fluids throughout the contact mass. Another object is to control more eiectively'the reaction which takes place within the Still another object is to facilitate the maintenance of uniform temperature and` pressure conditions throughout the mass and to insure uniform and continuous removal of the products of the reaction from all portions of the mass. Other objects will be apparent from the detailed description which follows:

I have discovered that improved results can be secured both in a chemical transformation involving the use of a contact mass and in theregeneration of the latter after operation, if the reaction is localized at many points througho'ut the mass. This can be effected by discharging the entering fluid at -a plurality of points within the mass itself and by withdrawing the products of the reaction from a plurality of points also4 within the mass. In this way, there are' many individualreactions, as it were, taking place si- `multaneously, but each reaction occurs in a restricted portion of the contact mass, namely that 'lying between an inlet and the nearest outlet. Conduits of any suitable or desired type are embedded in the contact mass, and certain of them are used as distributing inlets and the remainder as outlets. All of the conduits preferably have a plurality of openings uniformly distributed therealong, and when a number of such conduits are arranged in spaced juxtaposition, as, for example, in parallelism, it will be obvious that a plurality of planes will be defined, each having a plurality of localized areas of reaction. The conduits may be arranged in series, the two series penetrating the contact mass from the sanie side or from different sides. For the inlet distributing series, double or nested pipe elements of the type described and claimed in my copending applications Serial No. 569,530, led October 1'1, 1931, and Serial No. 611,363, led of even date herewith, which issued as patents Nos 1,987,903v and 1,987,904 on January 15, 1935, and in the copending application of T. B. Prickett and myself See and enclosed in a layer of heat insulating bers 6 and 1 adjacent ldistribution of uid,

rial No. 612,222, led May 19, 1932. which issued as Patent No. 1,987,636 on January 15, 1935, may be used, and single pipes may be used for the outlet series. If the conduits in both series are duplicates of one another, either series may beused 5 selectively or alternatively as inlet or outlet. In one form of apparatus, a casing may have spaced partitions forming a central chamber for the contact mass and header or reservoir chambers onfbpposite sides of the contact chamber with 10 the series of conduits mounted on the partitions and extending into the contact mass from opposite sides.

In order to illustrate the invention, concrete embodiments are shown in the accompanying 15 drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional I-i of Fig. 2, indicating one form of the tion;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 20 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on theline 4 5 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1, a casing 5 of suitable size and shape partition plates or memits bottom and top dividing the same into a. large central chamber A and 30 smallerchambers or headers B and C. Large chamber A is utilized to contain a contact mass M of any known or suitable material for effecting the desired chemical transformation, but the material is preferably in Ithe form of blocks, 35 fragments or molded pieces so asto be capable of regeneration in situ. To provide for uniform inlet members or units 8 are provided embedded in and entirely surrounded by mass M at uniformly spaced intervals through- 40 out the same.

, Since in most chemical transformations involving a contact mass, it is essential that the mass be maintained at a temperature which will support the reaction, the distributing members I 45 are preferably of the double conduit type disclosed in the aforesaid copending applications. The inner conduits of these units project through openings therefor in partition 1, for example, so

view on the line inventerial has therewithin that chamber c may beutilized as the inlet cham--V 50 ber or header. To prevent an undue amount-of heat transfer between contact mass M and the incoming fluid, a suitable amount of insulating material may be used as needed, as, for example, in a layer 9 on partition 1, and the inner con- 55 duits or the distributing members s wm extend the caslng. Outlet members l0 and the outer conduits of distributing members 8 have ports distributed throughout their length, and, by preference, in the same horizontal planes, so that there will be direct flow of uid in `parallel on a. plurality of levels and in a plurality of definitely restricted areas in each level between the distributing members and the outlet members. Thus the reaction must ta'ke place simultaneously and to substantially the same extent throughout mass M. Since members i0 are intended to be used only to vent mass M, they may be in the form of single'conduits or pipes, and as they do not p`resent the resistance to free flow of double conduit units, they may be of smaller size and/or fewer in number, especially when the volume of the product of the reaction is less than the volume of the fluids to be converted.

The distributional design of inlet members il and outlet members III, of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be noted that a number of distributing inlets 8 are uniformly grouped about a single outlet member I0. In the arrangement shown, the inlet members I8 form a hexagon or a series of hexagons having common sides. The inlet members 8 are the same distance from one another, as are also the outlet members i0, and straight lines connecting the center of any outlet member with any two adjacent inlet members which Vare also adjacent to each other form an equilateral triangle. y

Case 5 has a valved vinlet connection Ilfor the substances to be transformed and a valved inlet I2 for the regenerating medium, both of which connect with inlet header C. Similarly,

valved outlet I3 is provided for the product and valved outlet I4 for the results f the regenerating reaction, both of chamber B.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, casing 5a has a central chamber Aa for contact mass Ma and end chambers or headers Ba andCa. In this case, however, provision is made for using either chamber Ba or chamber Ca as inlet or outlet, as desired. To this end, the feed of material to be transformed may be either through valved inlet Ila into chamber Ca or through valved inlet I Iaa into chamber Ba. 'I'he resulting product may be withdrawn either through valved outlet Ila from chamber Ba or vthrough valved outlet laa from chamber Ca. Similarly, the regenerating medium maybe admitted either through valved inlet |2a into chamber Ca or through valved inlet IZaa into chamber Ba, while the results of the regenerating reaction are withdrawn either through valved connection lia to chamber Ba or valved connection llaa to chamber Ca. By reason of the selective connections, whereby movement of uid may bein a general upward direction or a general downward direction 4through case Ba, all of the members embedded in mass Ma may be used either as inlets or outlets. Hence, it is preferable that they benot only of the same type but conform to the double conduit members 8 oi' Fig. 1-. However, to make it easy to distinguish them, those extending through partition 1a to connect with chamber-Ca will bereferred toasinlet members and desigwhich connectwith outlet l natedv by reference character 8a, while those secured to lower partition 6a and connecting chamber Ba will be referred to as outlet members and designated by reference character Illa.

Although the same general two-to-one ratio of inlet members to outlet members provided by the hexagonal design of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be utilized and will be found to be desirable in some cases, a substantially equal number of inlet and outlet units is indicated in Fig. 4, the design used being that of a square, that is, any four adjacent inlet or outlet members, when connected together, form a square and are equally spaced from one another. Each outlet member is surrounded by four inlet members equally spaced therefrom, or vice versa, and straight lines connecting together an outlet member with any two adjacent inlet members forms an sosceles triangle.

To insure distribution of entering fluid at uniform temperature throughout the contact mass Ma, insulation will be used as desired in both chambers Ca and Ba, as, for example, a layer of insulating material 9a on partition 1a and a similar layer lila on partition 6a.

I claim as my invention:

1. Process of controlling the temperature of reactions involving the use of a contact mass which comprises sending the reactant fluids into the mass, distributing such fluids within and throughout the depth and cross section of the mass at a uniform temperature at all points of distribution within the mass, and removing the products of the reaction from points within the interior of thevmass having a definite and uniform spacial relation to the points of distribution thereby causing the reaction to takeplace simultaneously and uniformly throughout the mass under identically the sameconditions in localized areas of substantially the same size.

2. In the control of chemical reactions either endothermic or exothermic involving the 4use of a contact mass, the operating process whichlcomout the depth and cross section of the contact mass.

3. In the control of exothermic and/or endothermic reactions taking place in the presence of contact masses capable of regeneration in place, the operating process which comprises feeding the reactant uids to the mass and distributing them within and throughout the mass at points spaced vertically and horizontally, controlling the heat exchange between the mass and the entering reactant fluids to obtain a substantially uniform temperature of the reactants throughout the mass at the pointsof distribution thereof, removing the reaction products from within the massat other points spaced vertically and horizontally in a manner to cause the reaction to take place simultaneously and'independently in a multiplicity of zones or areas of substantially the same size, andmaintaining the operating conditions substantially identical lin all of said areas including the step of distributing the reactant fluids in all said areas and hence throughout the contact mass at substantially the same temperature.

4. In the chemical transformation of material by the action of a contact mass and in the regeneration of the contact mass, the operating process which comprises distributing the material and in sequence the regenerating agent within and substantially uniformly all through the contact mass, controlling the heat exchange between the entering material and the contact mass so that it enters all parts of the mass at substantially the same temperature, and withdrawing the products from within the mass in a manner to localize the resulting reaction and to cause it to take place simultaneously and uniformly throughout the depth and cross section of the contact mass.

5. In the chemical transformation of material by the action of a contact mass and in the regeneration of the contact mass, the operating process which comprises discharging the material and in sequence the regenerating agent at a plurality of points wholly within said mass throughout the depth and cross section thereof and in a series of parallel planes, effecting heat exchange between the mass and the entering material so that the vlatter isat substantially the same temperature at all of said points, and similarly withdrawing the products of the resulting reaction at a plurality of points in each plane and wholly Within said mass thereby to localize the reaction in a plurality of areas of substantially the same sizel in each of said planes..

6. Process of effecting and controlling chemical reactions in the presence of a contact mass capable of regeneration in place which comprises distributing reactant uid within and throughout the depth and cross section of the contact mass in a uniform manner and withdrawing the resulting products uniformly from points within the interior of the mass so that the reaction* takes place simultaneously andA to substantially the same extent in a plurality of areas of substantially the same size throughout the mass, thereby effecting simultaneously a similar deposit of contaminating material in and throughout the contact mass, and then regenerating the contact mass by repeating the above operation with a regenerating medium which is similarly distributed within and throughout the mass in a uniform manner, the products of the regenerating reaction being similarly withdrawn so as to remove the contaminating material simultaneously and uniformly from all said areas of said mass.

7. Process of controlling successive endothermic and exothermlc reactions in the presence of a contact mass arranged for regeneration in place which comprises effecting the transforming or endothermic reaction simultaneously and to sub` stantially the same extent in a plurality of areas of substantially equal size-within and throughout the mass by distributing the reactant material uniformly within and throughout the depth and cross section of the mass and by withdrawing'the products of the reactionfrom points uniformly located within the mass, and thereafter freeing the mass of deposits resulting from said reaction by effecting a regenerating or exothermic reaction simultaneously and to the same extent in said areas by distributing the regenerating medium and withdrawing the resulting products in the same manner as fo'r the transforming reaction, the movement of the regenerating medium within said areas being in the same direction or in the' conduits supported by the other of reverse direction from that of the reactant ma- 'teriaL 8. The combination with a contact mass of separate inlet and outlet means embedded entirely in said mass and providing therein a mull5 tiplicity of uniformly spaced openings so as to effect uniform but localized movement of iluid throughout said mass, the said inlet means comprising nested tubular members for delivering fluid at Ysubstantially the same temperature l0 throughout said mass.

9. In combination, a contact mass, a series of apertured conduits penetrating said mass from one side thereof, a second series of apertured conduits penetrating said mass from. another 15 side, all said conduits being entirely surrounded by said mass, means associated with one of saidseries for effecting heat exchange' between a fiuid and said mass, and means utilizing said last named series for distributing said fluid at subof perforatedv inlet members embedded in said 25 mass having means-for controlling the heat exchange between the entering fluid and the mass so as to admit the iluid thereto at substantially the same temperature, and a series of perforated outlet members also embedded in said mass, all

of said members being symmetrically arranged in spaced parallelism and surrounded on all sides by said mass.

ll. In combination in a contact mass a series of perforated inlet members embedded in said 35 mass having means for controlling heat exchange between the entering fluid and the mass so as to admit the duid thereto at substantially the same temperature, and a series of perforated outlet members also embedded in said mass, all of said members being symmetrically arranged in spaced parallelism and surrounded on all sides by said mass, the numberof said inlet members being in excess of the number of said outlet members.

l2. In combination in a contact mass a series of perforated inlet members embedded in said mass having means for controlling heat exchange between the entering fluid and the mass so as to admit the fluid thereto at substantially the same temperature throughout the depth and cross section of vsaid mass, and a series of perforated outlet members also embedded in said mass, all of said members being arranged in spaced parallelism and surrounded on all sides by said mass, and each outlet member inlet members equally spaced from the latter and from each other. l

13. In combination in a contact mass for effecting chemical transformations, a series of perforated inlet elements comprising nested tubular .membersy a series of perforated outlet elements,

both series being embedded in said mass and symmetrically disposed throughout the same, said inlet elements being equally spaced fromeach other and said outlet elements being equally spaced from each other.

.14. Apparatus for eecting chemical transformations comprising a casing, spaced partitions within said casing dividing the latter into a central chamber and header or reservoir chambers at the end thereof, a contact mass in said central chamber, a series of apertured conduits mounted on one of said partitions and connected to the adjacent heade a series of apertured being surrounded by 5,5

said partiheaders.

series comprising nested tubular members for delivering uid at 'substantially the same temperature throughout said mass, and an inlet connection and an outlet connection to each of said EUGENE J. HOUDRY. 

